In recent years, advances in technology, as well as ever-evolving tastes in style, have led to substantial changes in the design of automobiles. One of the changes involves the complexity of the electrical and drive systems within automobiles, particularly alternative fuel vehicles, such as hybrid, battery electric, and fuel cell vehicles. Such alternative fuel vehicles typically use one or more electric motors, perhaps in combination with another actuator, to drive the wheels.
These machines (i.e., the motors) are expected to function over extreme operating conditions for an extended lifetime with high reliability. However, due to the operating stresses applied to the motor or manufacturing defects, failures can occur. Because of the integration of the motors with other components in the vehicle, such as the transmission, repairing, replacing, or even testing the motors after the vehicle is assembled often requires at least partial disassembly of the vehicle. The complexity of such a procedure significantly increases maintenance costs.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a method and system for testing an electric motor that suitably stresses the motor before the motor is installed in the vehicle. Additionally, it is desirable to provide such a method and system that allows the motor to be tested without the use of a lubricating fluid that is typically provided during normal use. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.